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Tyler Wright pictured wearing the jersey you want but can't buy. (Photo by Tony Heff/World Surf League)
Tyler Wright pictured wearing the jersey you want but can't buy. (Photo by Tony Heff/World Surf League)

Pride-gate continues to roil World Surf League as signed Tyler Wright Pipe Pro jersey offered rainbow flag-free

“You can now own a piece of Championship Tour history with a signed event winner jersey from the Lexus Pipe Pro."

Just over a week ago, the World Surf League found itself embroiled in its most serious controversy to date. The Championship Tour was in Abu Dhabi, as you certainly recall, yet eagle-eyed surf fans noticed a glaring omission. Namely, flags had been scrubbed from the competitor’s singlet sleeves. No Brazilian order and progress, no Australian southern cross, no American stars and stripes and for Tyler Wright, no pride.

The two-time world champion had added the rainbow emblem during her 2021 campaign, declaring at the time, “Today for me feels like another step in my realisation of my true and authentic self. As a proud bisexual woman of the LGBTQ+ community as well as an Australian, I’m delighted to be able to represent both this year on my competition jersey. The number change to 23 represents, to me, a new phase of my career and my growth as a human. The Progress pride flag represents a love that opened my eyes more to who I really am.”

The World Surf League added it “proudly supports Tyler in using her platform as a World Champion and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community to express a message of inclusivity. We believe surfing is for everyone and are incredibly proud of our athletes.”

Though it did not proudly support Tyler’s platform in the United Arab Emirates where same sex couplings are frowned upon.

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And it is not proudly supporting Tyler’s platform in its newest offering.

As reported yesterday, the global home of surfing is offering signed memorabilia, excitedly sharing, “You can now own a piece of Championship Tour history with a signed event winner jersey from the Lexus Pipe Pro presented by YETI and the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro. Be one of only a few people who score a Tyler Wright, Barron Mamiya, Caity Simmers, or Italo Ferreira authentic event jersey. Quantities are extremely limited. Shop today!”

It might be thought that the “signed event winner jersey” might have been used in the event or, at the very least, copies of those used in the event.

Here’s Wright at Pipeline.

Tyler wright (photo by tony heff/world surf league)
Tyler Wright (Photo By Tony Heff/World Surf League)

But now let us examined the signed $299 version currently on offer on the World Surf League website.

No pride.

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No progress.

Now, do you think the World Surf League is falling in line with other corporations around these United States cutting diversity programs etc. or does the jersey simply come with an assortment of identity patches that the buyer can iron on at will?

Currently more questions than answers.

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36 Comments
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justiceminister

Tyler the comeback queen this year. Maybe. Whatever anyone thinks or says about her, she is one of the best women surfers ever. The NWO of women surfers owe her a salute for what they are producing out there.

Shredy Kruger

Wait, she’s Bi? So you’re saying there’s still a chance! I hope her Airway is big enough…. don’t hate participate…

david fffff

This is worse than Trump’s AI Gaza video

Mason’s Hoe

Surfed with a guy rocking a Frederico Morias jersey last time I was in the Philippines. Couldn’t believe I was seeing an actual WSL jersey that someone potentially bought with real money.

@surfads

Of course WSL is going to renege on its morals as quickly as all the other large corpos are doing. You can almost hear the sigh of relief in boardrooms across America and the rest of the world. It’s always been performative. A covert way to make employees better corporate citizens. I’m down for the social progressive cause but big business should never be the vessel for it. Bring less of yourself to work, I say.

And thank god we still have diverse and inclusive spaces like the beach grit comments section. Every shade of angry middle to late ages white man you can imagine.

Chief Hot stuff

Working in an office to me would be a fate worse than death. It would alzo be that for my coworkers

frank

thanks for taking one for the team

NEGATRON

Damn, guess I can take that off my birthday wish list.

@surfads

Friends DVD box set instead?

Sean Connery

I pride myself on not purchasing things like this.

PacificNorthPest

Or not actually an Event Worn Jersey, but rather WSL cashing in on FRAUD? I smell a class action lawsuit completely not worth it to any attorney who passed the Bar exam.

J H

Sounds geigh.

mike m
Capt Sensible

Diversity spending is done give it another 2 years and just like covid it will be a distant memory , that no one really understood.

Com Turren

Sooner than that. SCOTUS is going to make a decision later this year on whether a non-minority is subject to a higher evidentiary standard for Title VII discrimination claims that is going to effectively kill DEI.

Once that comes down, no employer will be crazy enough to either implement or maintain a DEI program out of fear that they’ll get sued by straight snowflake whites who think that they’re being discriminated against by minority and/or gay supervisors.

Brutus

Agree , DEI is dead under trumpy , fear and fealty rules the USA now “LONG LIVE THE KING, and HE WHO SAVES HIS COUNTRY DOES NOT VIOLATE ANY LAW! ” , and this morning a post from ol donny boy confirms his messiah complex ……Trump Gaza…a golden statue of himself in the newly acquired Gaza strip….. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/26/backlash-trump-shares-ai-created-video-reimagined-gaza
next??

J H

Finally going to turn that shithole into something useful!

Brutus

yes Trump Gaza is the answer …TUSA….trumps unlikely states of america,LOL………

J H

Still a substantial improvement over the current shithole.

Com Turren

not saying I agreee with any of this goddamn clown show

Brutus

ha ha I get it , just an excuse for me to post the latest, self proclaimed King trump , saving his country so no laws apply to him..and to crown off this amazing self proclamation we have Trump Gaza with a golden statue of himself……..USA USA!!

J H

The HR reps are now super disappointed that they can’t get felated by young twinks looking for a job.

That used to be the easiest way to meet diversity goals.

Barrelled

I seem to recall this exact topic being discussed, oh about 9 days ago but maybe that was too long ago for Chad to recall (that or too many drams that morning).

Chas Smith

The WSL signed singlet sale a new wrinkle. News moves pretty fast around here so totally forgive you for missing it.

Otto

For people that do purchase these jerseys, what do you suppose they do with them?
Have any of you all seen one out in the wild?

Com Turren

the Brazzos that invade Trestles every time there’s a CT/Final down there are reliably wearing Pip and Medina jerseys, but that’s not exactly out in the wild

Barrelled

Those are just the cheapies you can buy at the contest sites. Maybe we should all chip in to buy Otto the Tyler jersey to hang in his Montana metal boxes. At least that way we will know what one of the items is doing in the “wild”.

Com Turren

idk, a grown man wearing a jersey of an active, non-retired athelete of any sport is a hard nah.

so let’s buy him a Carissa Moore jersey instead.

Barrelled

I picture more of an ALMS disease type of person.

Otto

What’s wrong with Carissa Moore?

Brutus

what’s wrong with Tyler?

would you wear a …….Laird jersey?

Otto

I’d wear a Moore Trump jersey

Otto

Tyler ain’t wright in the head.

deeks

It weighs on her .especially round the jawline

Barrelled

Nothing, just not “active”.

Com Turren

nothing. she’s retired, so therefore it is permissible to wear her jersey according to the Dao of Com.


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